As she spoke, she couldn't help but step forward and hug him. This man was far too pleasing to the eye. She really wanted to cling to him and never let go.
Ryan wrapped his arms around her, his heart softening. "Leave everything to me. After this rescue, my promotion to deputy director will definitely come sooner. Some things will be much easier to handle then."
Mary felt as if she had picked up a priceless treasure. If she had left back then instead of staying, she would have missed a man like this.
"Ryan," she said slowly, "after everything that's happened these past two days, I think we need to establish our own power. If my secret is ever exposed, we need the strength to protect ourselves."
In her previous life, she had suffered losses because of this. In this life, she had Ryan and the mindscape. If the mindscape were discovered, Ryan would inevitably be dragged into danger. Husband and wife were one. In any era, having one's own power was the only real protection.
Ryan's thoughts raced. He immediately understood her meaning.
"You're saying…" he paused, then continued, "that we should build something of our own? Like a base in the mountains?"
Mary loosened her hold on his waist and nodded seriously. "Yes. We won't stay where we are forever. We'll stand higher, go further. So we must have the means to protect ourselves."
Ryan had never been slow. Otherwise, he wouldn't have risen so quickly in the factory. Almost instantly, he thought of the workers who were about to be laid off.
"What about recruiting workers?" he suggested. "There's a group about to be laid off. I can select people from among them and train them. If we treat them well, they'll definitely stand with us."
Mary considered it and nodded. "That could work. But remember, people who are too rigid won't do. Those who cling too tightly to rules or hesitate too much will only cause trouble."
Ryan picked up his bowl of noodles and smiled. "Wife, eat first. I'll let you see everyone I choose. If they're not suitable, we won't use them. The choice is in our hands."
Mary nodded, took out the side dishes, and sat down beside him. She had no idea that the decision she made tonight would quietly alter the destinies of many people in the years to come.
Meanwhile, the eastern-style noodles cooked with spiritual spring water were perfectly textured, neither too soft nor too hard, springy and smooth. Paired with the simple side dishes Mary prepared, they were irresistibly appetizing. Ryan ate with rare enthusiasm, barely pausing between bites.
"Ryan," Mary asked casually, "what about the three wild boars?"
Ryan finished the last mouthful of soup, set his bowl aside, and wiped his lips. "I'll go to the factory tomorrow morning. In the afternoon, we'll find a place to deal with one first. With this promotion coming up, we'll need to host a meal."
He planned to use one boar for entertaining, saving the trouble of buying meat. The other two could be taken to the county later to be processed properly.
Then he looked at Mary with a slightly aggrieved expression. "Wife… can you stop calling me Ryan?"
Mary raised her brows, smiling faintly. "Then what should I call you? Husband? Husband? Darling? Dear?"
"I would be thrilled to be called by any of those," he said immediately, without hesitation. "You can start by calling me husband, though."
Mary suddenly felt the air thicken.
She glanced up and met Ryan's gaze, only to find it far too intense. Her heartbeat skipped, and instinctively, she knew she needed to retreat.
"Husband," she said quickly, standing up, "I'm done eating. I'll go into the mindscape for a bit and come out later."
Before Ryan could respond, she vanished.
Ryan let out a helpless chuckle, shaking his head. He had been too impatient and ended up scaring his little wife away. Still, the way she fled just now was unexpectedly adorable.
Only one thing bothered him. He still couldn't enter her so-called mindscape.
Inside the mindscape, Mary leaned against the bamboo house wall, her face warm. Ryan's gaze earlier had been far too dangerous.
"Master, what are you thinking about?" Cleo padded over, tilting her head. "Your face is so red."
"It's nothing," Mary said, waving it off. "It's just hot outside. I'm going to take a bath."
She needed to calm down.
Mary understood clearly now.
She had fallen for Ryan.
In the past, when other men looked at her with desire, she felt nothing or even annoyance. But with him, it was different.
Love, she knew, had to be mutual. One-sided effort would eventually burn out. Since Ryan treated her well, she wanted to give back just as much.
After being honest about the mindscape, the distance between them had shortened noticeably. That secret would bind them together from now on.
She soaked in the spiritual spring, then changed into clothes she could now wear after losing more of her weight. There were far more options than before. Unfortunately, she found no men's clothes in storage, only tactical gear like bulletproof vests tucked away with the weapons.
As she harvested the crops, piles of golden rice and fresh vegetables filled the mindscape. Over five thousand kilograms of each. The sight alone was breathtaking.
"Once the money comes in," she thought, "maybe I can even open a supermarket."
Outside, Ryan suddenly felt strange. "Hmm?"
Heat surged through his body, followed by a tingling numbness, and his body sweated from top to bottom. When the sensation passed, his entire body felt oddly refreshed.
He sat up and frowned. A pungent odor clung to him, something he had never smelled before.
He needed a shower. Immediately.
By the time Mary exited the mindscape and returned to the room, Ryan was nowhere to be seen. The bathroom door was closed, steam faintly seeping out.
Showering again? she wondered.
Then realization struck.
Could it be… the spiritual spring had taken effect on him again?
It really was strange. For her, the cleansing effect had only been intense the first time. But with Ryan, it seemed to keep working.
Just as Mary raised her hand to knock, the bathroom door opened from the inside.
Ryan stood there, fresh from a shower. His sharp features were softened by the steam, his hair still damp, droplets sliding down his temples and tracing a slow path along his neck before disappearing into his collar. The sight hit Mary without warning.
She instinctively gulped her saliva, her face warming inch by inch. However, she couldn't avert her gaze.
Ryan then took a step forward. Instinctively, Mary retreated until her back met the cool wall. His arms came up on either side of her, caging her in.
His fingers then brushed her cheek, lingering there, and before she could react, he leaned down.
Mary closed her eyes.